Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick Review: The Budget Hybrid That Punches Above Its Weight

There’s a universal moment of dread many of us face: the slow, creeping realisation that our mattress has turned against us. It begins subtly—a bit of tossing and turning, an ache in the lower back upon waking. Soon, you can feel every lump and dip, the ghost of every previous sleeping position permanently etched into the foam. The search for a replacement begins, but it’s often met with the sticker shock of premium brands demanding hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. This is the frustrating limbo where so many of us live, yearning for the restorative sleep that feels just out of financial reach. A poor night’s sleep isn’t just about feeling tired; it impacts our mood, our productivity, and our overall health. The question becomes: is it possible to find a mattress that provides genuine support, comfort, and quality without emptying your savings account? It was this very question that led us to test the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick, a contender that promises premium features at a decidedly budget-friendly price point.

What to Consider Before Buying a Hybrid Mattress

A mattress is more than just an item of furniture; it’s a key solution for achieving deep, restorative sleep, which is fundamental to our physical and mental well-being. The hybrid mattress category, in particular, aims to solve a core problem: the choice between the contouring comfort of foam and the robust support of springs. By combining layers of foam with an innerspring system (ideally pocket springs), they offer a balanced sleeping surface that caters to a wide range of needs. The primary benefits include targeted pressure relief from the foam layers, excellent airflow and responsiveness from the spring core, and superior motion isolation compared to traditional open-coil mattresses. This blend makes them a fantastic all-around choice for improving sleep quality.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing common sleep issues like back pain, overheating, or being disturbed by a partner’s movements. Side, back, and combination sleepers often find the medium-firm support of a hybrid mattress to be a perfect match for spinal alignment. However, a hybrid might not be the best fit for those who crave the deep, sinking “hug” of an all-foam mattress or individuals who prefer an extremely soft, plush sleeping surface. For those sleepers, a dedicated memory foam or latex mattress might be a more suitable alternative. It’s crucial to align the mattress’s features with your personal sleep preferences and physical needs.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: First, ensure the mattress size matches your bed frame precisely. This model is a standard UK Single (3FT), measuring 190cm x 90cm. The 20cm thickness is a versatile height that provides a substantial feel without being overly bulky, ensuring most standard single-size fitted sheets will fit comfortably.
• Performance & Firmness: The “medium-firm” rating is the industry’s sweet spot, aiming to please the widest variety of sleepers. The key performance metric here is the pocketed coil system, which is superior to older open-coil designs for isolating motion. With a maximum weight capacity of 250 kilograms, it demonstrates a robust and supportive core suitable for most adults.
• Materials & Durability: A hybrid’s quality is defined by its layers. The Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick uses a combination of CertiPUR-US certified foam and a pocket spring core. These certifications are not just marketing fluff; they guarantee the materials are made without harmful chemicals and are a strong indicator of quality and durability. The OEKO-TEX certified cover further ensures the fabric is safe for direct skin contact.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: The “bed-in-a-box” delivery model is incredibly convenient, especially for navigating tight hallways or staircases. Maintenance is straightforward: spot clean as needed and rotate the mattress 180 degrees every few months to ensure even wear. Note that most hybrid mattresses, including this one, are not designed to be flipped.

While the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: From Compact Box to Sleep-Ready Comfort

The arrival of the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick is, as one user aptly put it, a surprise. The box is remarkably compact and manageable for a single person, a testament to the efficiency of modern vacuum packing. Inside, the mattress is rolled tighter than a Swiss roll and sealed in thick plastic. Novilla thoughtfully includes a small, safe cutting tool to slice through the plastic without risking damage to the mattress fabric—a small but appreciated touch. The real magic happens the moment the seal is broken. With a satisfying hiss, the mattress begins to expand, unfurling itself from its compressed state. We laid it flat on our single bed frame and, true to many user reports, it reached about 90% of its full 20cm height within minutes. While the manufacturer recommends up to 72 hours for full expansion, we found it was perfectly usable and comfortable for sleeping on the very first night. The first thing we noticed was the cover; the “Chill White” fabric feels soft, breathable, and genuinely cool to the touch. Crucially, there was none of the overpowering chemical “off-gassing” smell that can plague some bed-in-a-box mattresses, a direct benefit of its CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX certifications. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to learn more about these quality assurances.

Putting the Novilla Hybrid Through Its Paces: A Detailed Performance Analysis

A mattress can look great out of the box, but its true worth is only revealed after several nights of sleep. We tested the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick over a period of several weeks with different sleepers to get a comprehensive understanding of its performance in three key areas: support and comfort, temperature regulation, and overall value and safety.

The Core of Comfort: A Deep Dive into the Hybrid Pocket Sprung System

The heart of any hybrid mattress is its spring system, and this is where the Novilla truly shines for its price point. It utilises individually wrapped pocket springs, a significant upgrade from the interconnected “open coil” systems found in many budget mattresses. The “pocketed” design means each spring reacts independently to pressure. The result? Two major benefits. Firstly, motion isolation is superb. During our tests, we placed a glass of water on one side of the mattress and had a tester roll around and get up from the other side. The water barely rippled. For anyone who shares a bed or is a particularly light sleeper, this is a game-changing feature. As one user confirmed, “when my partner moves I don’t move,” which perfectly captures this benefit.

Secondly, this independent movement allows for more targeted support. The springs compress directly under your body’s heaviest points—like the hips and shoulders—while providing firmer support for lighter areas like your head and legs. This promotes neutral spinal alignment, which is crucial for preventing and alleviating back pain. We found the medium-firm feel to be spot-on. It’s firm enough to feel properly supported when lying on your back or stomach, preventing that dreaded feeling of sinking too deep. Yet, there’s enough give in the top comfort foam layer to cushion pressure points when sleeping on your side. This was echoed by numerous user reviews, with one happy customer stating, “I suffer from back pain and I definitely feel much better in the mornings since switching to this mattress.” It’s this intelligent balance that makes the mattress so versatile and is a feature that really sets it apart in the crowded budget market.

Beating the Heat: Breathability and Cooling Technologies

One of the most common complaints about foam mattresses is that they trap body heat, leading to a hot and restless night. The Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick tackles this issue head-on with a two-pronged approach. The first line of defence is its skin-friendly, cool-touch cover. While not actively refrigerated, the fabric is engineered to feel cool on initial contact and to wick away moisture effectively. During our testing, this was immediately noticeable; the surface felt pleasant and never clammy.

The real hero of the cooling story, however, is the pocket spring core. Unlike a dense block of memory foam, the spring layer is mostly open space. This creates natural air channels throughout the mattress, allowing body heat to dissipate rather than build up. The result is a significantly more breathable and temperature-neutral sleeping environment. We tested this on unseasonably warm nights and found the mattress remained comfortable and sweat-free. One user who previously struggled with sleeping warm celebrated this, noting, “The breathable layers and cool touch cover really make a difference – no more waking up hot or restless.” This combination of a breathable cover and an airy core makes the Novilla an excellent choice for anyone who identifies as a “hot sleeper” and has been disappointed by the heat-retention of all-foam mattresses in the past. This commitment to a cool sleep is a premium feature you can explore further on its product page.

Peace of Mind: Safety, Certifications, and Long-Term Value

In the budget mattress space, corners are often cut in ways you can’t immediately see—specifically, with the chemicals used in foams and fabrics. This is where Novilla makes a compelling case for its value. The mattress boasts both CertiPUR-US certification for its foam and OEKO-TEX certification for its cover. CertiPUR-US ensures the foam is made without ozone depleters, heavy metals like mercury and lead, and harmful flame retardants, and has low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for better indoor air quality. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is a global standard that certifies the fabric has been tested and found free from a long list of substances harmful to human health. For us, and for many users, this provides immense peace of mind. Knowing you’re sleeping on materials that are safe for you and your family, especially for a child’s bed, is invaluable.

Beyond the materials, the long-term value is backed by a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty. The trial period gives you over three months to decide if the mattress is right for your body, a generous offer that removes much of the risk from an online purchase. The 10-year warranty signals the manufacturer’s confidence in the product’s construction and durability. While some users noted that the edge support isn’t as robust as a traditional mattress that costs five times as much, this is a common characteristic of boxed mattresses and a minor trade-off. For the price, the combination of pocket springs, certified-safe materials, and a strong warranty makes the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick an incredibly smart investment in your sleep health.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, user feedback for the Novilla mattress is overwhelmingly positive, with many customers expressing pleasant surprise at the quality delivered for the price. The most common theme is the successful blend of comfort and support. One user summed it up perfectly: “The hybrid pocket sprung design gives the perfect balance of support and comfort – it feels firm enough to keep my back supported, but still soft and cushioned for a great night’s sleep.” Many specifically mention an improvement in sleep quality and a reduction in aches and pains.

Another frequently praised aspect is its value, with one reviewer calling it a “great alternative as a budget mattress for those like me who don’t want to be forking out £100s.” However, the feedback is not without its minor criticisms, which provides a balanced view. The most consistent critique, which we also noted in our testing, relates to edge support. A user commented, “The mattress edge is not as strong as a traditional mattress I used to have.” This is a fair point; if you frequently sit on the very edge of your bed, you will notice more compression than with a premium, reinforced model. A second, much rarer issue mentioned by one customer was the discovery of “one or two wee spots of dirt” upon unboxing, suggesting an isolated quality control slip. Despite these minor points, the consensus remains that the mattress delivers exceptional comfort and performance for its cost.

How Does the Novilla Compare? A Look at the Competition

While the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick stands strong on its own, it’s helpful to see how it measures up against other popular options in the market. Each alternative serves a slightly different need or budget.

1. Starlight Beds Single Memory Foam Mattress 18cm

The Starlight Beds mattress represents the ultra-budget end of the spectrum. Its main appeal is its rock-bottom price. However, this comes with key differences. It’s slightly thinner at 18cm and typically uses a more basic open coil spring system paired with memory foam, rather than the superior pocket springs of the Novilla. This means you’ll experience less motion isolation and more generalised support. While it’s a viable option for a rarely used guest room or a child’s first bed on a very tight budget, the Novilla offers a significant upgrade in comfort technology, cooling, and targeted support for a relatively modest increase in price.

2. Hiepunos Single Mattress 10.2 Inch Hybrid Pocket Spring

The Hiepunos hybrid mattress is a direct competitor that aims for a more premium feel. At 10.2 inches (approximately 26cm), it’s significantly thicker than the 20cm Novilla, which can provide a more luxurious, substantial presence on the bed frame. It also specifically markets “Edge Support” as a key feature, directly addressing one of the Novilla’s minor weaknesses. If your budget can stretch a bit further and you prioritise a thicker profile and stronger edges for sitting, the Hiepunos is a compelling alternative. However, the Novilla holds its own by offering excellent core features and certified materials at a more accessible price point.

3. Inofia Double Mattress 11 Inch Hybrid Zoned Support

The Inofia mattress introduces a more advanced support feature, though it’s important to note this model is a Double, not a Single. Its key selling point is “Responsive Zoned Support,” meaning the pocket springs are engineered to be firmer in the centre third (under the hips and lower back) and slightly softer at the head and feet. This ergonomic design can offer enhanced spinal alignment for those with specific back issues. It also boasts an impressive 11-inch thickness. This mattress is for the buyer who is looking for a larger size and is willing to pay more for advanced ergonomic features like zoned support.

Our Final Verdict: Is the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick Right for You?

After weeks of testing and poring over user feedback, our conclusion is clear: the Novilla 3FT Hybrid Pocket Sprung Mattress 20cm Thick is an outstanding value proposition that genuinely delivers on its promises. It successfully bridges the gap between budget constraints and the desire for high-quality sleep. Its main strengths are undeniable: the balanced medium-firm feel provides excellent support that helps alleviate back pain, the pocket spring system offers fantastic motion isolation, and its cooling properties are a blessing for anyone who sleeps warm. The addition of CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX certifications offers a level of safety and peace of mind rarely seen at this price.

While the edge support could be firmer, it’s a minor trade-off that is more than compensated for by its overall performance. We wholeheartedly recommend this mattress for a child’s or teenager’s bedroom, a university student’s flat, a spare guest room, or for any single adult who wants a comfortable, supportive, and cool night’s sleep without a hefty financial outlay. It proves that you no longer have to choose between affordability and a restorative night’s rest. If you’re ready to upgrade your sleep without downgrading your bank account, we highly recommend you check the latest price and secure yours today.

Last update on 2025-10-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API